The Jungle

Olivia was sixteen years old and bored. Her parents were rich and boring, her father was a diamond dealer and her mother was a doctor in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

But both her parents were so busy with their careers that they hardly noticed her anymore, except to tell her to brush her teeth, do her homework or come home early from her dates.

They had failed to see how unhappy she had become. Her life was one big chore, with endless schoolwork, boring, immature boys and girlfriends that blabbed on about useless dramas they could not live without.

Whenever she would suggest that her life was useless they would come up with suggestions to take up a new hobby, like horseback riding or swimming lessons…or worse yet, shopping.

Olivia took refuge in her room surrounded by her teddy bears, her computer and her cell phone.

She was doing research on the changing environment of The Amazon. This intrigued her more than horses or boys or shopping or going to the beach. She longed to go there and see The Amazon for herself.

“Olivia, come to breakfast dear.” Her mother called.

She hopped down the stairs and walked into the gourmet kitchen with clean white cabinets and a marble floor. Her father was reading the newspaper and eating a burrito.

“Good morning love.”

“Hi Dad.”

“I want to leave you some cash this week. I’m off to New York for a jewellery show and your mother is off to Paris for a medical convention there.” he said

He handed her five hundred dollars. She looked at it.

“Now promise me you will behave yourself. We trust in you that you can take care of yourself and of course Annette will be here to take care of all your meals and do the wash.

Use the money if you need it, buy yourself something from me.” He winked at her and patted her on her behind.

She smiled. A light went off in her head.

“Ok Dad, thanks. I’ll be alright, please don’t worry.”

“We’re off to the airport now darling. See you.”

Her parents kissed her and she watched them drive away.

Up in her room Olivia packed some clothes and her cell phone and her laptop computer. She went into her fathers’ office and took a gun out of his drawer.

It was loaded, that she knew. She wrote a note for Annette and left it on the kitchen counter. Her adrenaline was pumping and her heart was beating fast.

Her cell phone rang.

“Hello?” she answered breathlessly.

It was Richard, her friend from school.

“I’m outside. Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

“Yes, of course, I’ll be out in one minute.”

Richard was waiting in his BMW outside the gates. She hopped in the car.

“Lets go!”

They sped off through the streets of Brazil and headed up the mountain towards the rainforest. Olivia felt free and alive, glad to be away from the confines of her home and parents.

She was finally going to the jungle…

“Why are you doing this?” Richard asked.

“Because it’s in my soul, I want to see God’s work, I want to see the trees and the birds and the animals. I need it for my heart. I feel as though I am starving for nature.”

“I understand.” He said solemnly.

They drove for about one hour and approached the massive trees of the rainforest.

Once inside they found a clearing and Richard began to make a hut for Olivia from tree branches and an old tarp they had in the car.

Once the hut was complete they sat down and rested.

“Look, its so magical here….So peaceful.”

“Yes, it is a wonderful place but it could be dangerous. I should stay here with you.”

“No Richard, you don’t have to stay. I’ll be fine…really.”

“I don’t know Olivia….It’s not right to leave you alone in the forest. You are just a girl.”

“I have this.” She showed him the gun.

“Where did you get that?” he asked

“It’s my

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: Heidi Jacobsen
Bildmaterialien: Heidi jacobsen
Cover: Heidi Jacobsen
Lektorat: Heidi Jacobsen
Übersetzung: Heidi Jacobsen
Satz: Heidi Jacobsen
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 22.03.2019
ISBN: 978-3-7487-0012-8

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Widmung:
We all long for the unknown.....